Self-destroying fuze for rotating projectiles



May 3, 1966 P. KAISER 3, 4

SELF-DESTROYING FUZE FOR ROTATING PROJECTILES Filed Nov. 6, 1964 IN V ENTOR.

United States Patent 3,249,051 SELF-DESTROYING FUZE FOR ROTATINGPROJECTILES Paul Kaiser, Schramberg, Germany, assignor to GebrnderJunghans Aktiengesellschaft, Schramberg, Wurttemberg, Germany, acorporation of Germany Filed Nov. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 409,395 Claimspriority, application Germany, Nov. 12, 1963, J 24,733 3 Claims. (Cl.10279) The invention relates to self-destroying fuze for rotatingprojectiles with head firing pin bolt which is locked by a centrifugalspiral band and released by a selfdestroying device. Such fuzes areintended for firing at targets in the air. If the target is missed, theyshould destroy themselves so that they no damage when striking theground at the end of their trajectory. This is particularly importantwhen shooting in practice areas where it cannot always be guaranteedthat there is no trafiic in the hinterland.

Now the object of the invention is to ensure the operation of theself-destroying fuze under all circumstances.

The aim of the invention is therefore to provide two self-destroyingdevices operating absolutely independently of each other and each actingon its own firing pin in the new self-destroying fuzes for rotatingprojectiles with head firing pin bolt which is locked by a centrifugalspiral band and released by a self-destroying device. The twoself-destroying devices are arranged one behind the other and theircentrifugal spiral bands are located one on each side of an intermediatebottom or partition of a sleeve of H-shaped cross-section, which has anexternal screw thread on its periphery by means of which the fuze capand fuze body are held together. The rear selfdestroying devicecomprises a striker sleeve surrounding the firing pin shank andaccommodates a striker pin, said sleeve having an outer flange whichengages behind the centrifugal segment of is centrifugal spiral bandlocking device and an extension at its rear end tapering to a point andserving as firing pin. Each of the two selfdestroying mechanisms withits identical parts is mounted one on each of two identical plates whichare each fixed on an inner shoulder in the fuze bore.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in longitudinal section byway of example in the only figure of the accompanying drawing.

The fuze has an axial two-part firing bolt. The front part a carries animpact head 10 and bears against the rear part 10b which carries at itsrear end the striker pin. The striker pin shank 10b has at its front enda rigid collar 10c. This is followed by a centrifugal segment 13 mountedin a transverse slot in a sleeve 11 which serves as core for acentrifugal band spiral 12 locking the centrifugal segment 13. Thecentrifugal segment has, in known manner, a circular segment-shapednotch in which the concave rear side of the sleeve 14 engages. Thefiring bolt is surrounded by a hammer sleeve 18 loaded by a percussionspring 19.

The hammer sleeve 18 together with its percussion spring is held undertension by the release lever 17 which in turn is locked by thecentrifugal lever 15 of the selfdestroying device. In locking positionthis lever is loaded by a torsion spring 16 and prevented from swinginginwards by a deforming safety member not shown.

The construction and manner of operation of the selfdestroying deviceare known and are not the subject matter of the invention.

Behind the above-described self-destroying device a sec- 3,249,051Patented May 3, 1966 0nd self-destroying device is arranged according tothe invention and operates independently of the front selfdestroyingdevice.

It consists of a striker sleeve 28 surrounding the rear part 10b of thepin shank and terminates at its rear end in a neck which is tapered to apoint and forms a striker 21. The striker spring 29 is located in theinterior of the striker sleeve. The striker sleeve 28 and the strikerspring are held tensioned by the same means as in the frontself-destroying device, namely by a releasing lever 17', self-destroyingcentrifugal lever 15', torsion spring 16 and deforming safety member.

Also in this case the locking is effected by a centrifugal spiral band22 which is wound around a core sleeve 24 and locks a centrifugalsegment 23 which is located in atransverse slot in the core sleeve 24and engages behlIld an outer flange on the striker sleeve 28. Theconstruction of the rear self-destroying device, with the exception ofthe striker sleeve 28, is identical with the front self-destroyingdevice.

The releasing mechanisms of the two self-detonating devices are mountedon two identical plates Z and Z which are fixed on inner shoulders inthe fuze bore.

Both centrifugal band spirals with their cores are located in a sleeve Hof H-shaped cross-section one on each side of an intermediate bottom orpartition and provided with an external screw thread serving at the sametime for holding together the fuze body and fuze cap.

The manner in which the two self-destroying devices operate is known andtherefore need not be described. The two devices operate entirelyindependently of each other so that it can be assumed with certaintythat at least one destroying impulse will be successful.

What is claimed is:

1. Self-destroying fuze for rotating projectiles with head striking boltwhich is locked by a centrifugal spiral band and released by aself-destroying mechanism, comprising two-self-destroying devicesoperating absolutely independently of each other, each of which acts onits own striker pin, the two self-destroying devices being arranged onebehind the other and each having a centrifugal band, located one on eachside of the intermediate bottom of a sleeve of H-shape in cross-sectionprovided with an external screw thread by means of which it holdstogether the fuze cap and fuze body.

2. Self-destroying fuze according to claim 1, in which a centrifugalsegment and a striker sleeve are provided with the sleeve surrounding astriker pin shank and en closing a striker spring, said sleeve having aflange on its outer side which engages behind the centrifugal seg mentof its centrifugal spiral locking device and has at its rear end atapered and pointed extension forming a striker.

3. Self-destroying fuze according to claim 1, in which two identicalplates are provided with the self-destroying devices with theiridentical parts being mounted each on an identical plate, each of thetwo plates being fixed on an inner shoulder in the bore of the fuze.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,311,081 7/1919Martin 102-79 2,805,623 9/1957 Blair et a1. l0271 X 3,112,704 12/ 1963Schaadt 102-71 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. G. H. GLANZMAN,Assistant Examiner.

1. SELF-DESTROYING FUZE FOR ROTATING PROJECTILES WITH HEAD STRIKING BOLTWHICH IS LOCKED BY A CENTRIFUGAL SPIRAL BAND AND RELEASED BY ASELF-DESTROYING MECHANISM, COMPRISING TWO-SELF-DESTROYING DEVICESOPERATING ABSOLUTELY INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER, EACH OF WHICH ACTS ONITS OWN STRIKER PIN, THE TWO SELF-DESTROYING DEVICES BEING ARRANGED ONEBEHIND THE OTHER AND EACH HAVING A CENTRIFUGAL BAND, LOCATED ONE ON EACHSIDE OF THE INTERMEDIATE BOTTOM OF A SLEEVE OF H-SHAPE IN CROSS-SECTIONPROVIDED WITH AN EXTERNAL SCREW THREAD BY MEANS OF WHICH IT HOLDSTOGETHER THE FUZE CAP AND FUZE BODY.